Registering

cocobay

We are planning to register for our shower gifts. Most of the big stuff has already been bought by family members for their gift for the shower so we really only need small things. We plan to register at Babies R Us and Target. My question for the experts is what are the MUST HAVES? I know this has been asked before but thought it might be easier to refer to my own topic. Thanks yall!!

twicejess

Make sure you get your gift card from BRU when you register...it's only $10 but it's free. AND target sent me a catalog of all their stuff and there was a coupon for a $20 gift card. So, keep your eyes open for that too!

K&H

You might think twice about registering at BRU. They have a horrible return policy and, I've found, generally bad customer service. We avoid them at all costs.
We registered on Amazon which was great!

rktink13

I would say soem stuff you already know but :

Diapers
Emergency Kit (nail clippers, nail file, thermometer, dosing spoon for medicine etc)
Burp rags
Hats
Mittens so that he doesnt scratch his face all up
Floor Mat
If you want pacifiers I recommend the gumdrop ones from Target they are awesome
Extra Bottles
IF you are breastfeeding a pump and plenty of bags to store milk
Baby Wash and outside of that those are the main things that I can really think about.
I bulked up on wipes and diapers becasue you can never have enough and the last thing you want to do is make a diaper run after having a baby
For you I would suggest some witch hazel pads just in case you get hurt down there!

Zen

Diapers and wipes (can never have too many of these). High chair or mini feeding chair. If you're partial to certain bottles or pacifiers, click those too. Changing table foam pad, sheets, nursery sets, diaper bag(s), maybe a baby book. As you walk through the store, if you see it and want it, click it!

I don't recommend registering for clothes because people will buy them for you anyway and the styles change across seasons. The clothes in the stores when you register may not still be there when friends and family shop.

Kari

I would echo PP's comment that BRU has an awful return policy. If someone doesn't follow your registry, you might get stuck with a gift that can't be returned, and while two strollers in theory may be a great idea, it's really not.

The most valuable thing I got was the book "Baby 911." It's written by two doctors and I spent many nights reading chapters to figure out what was going on with Justin's eating/sleeping/pooping/illnesses/behaviors/reflux/crying/etc.

I also liked that people got me a variety of diapers so I could figure out what ones I liked (or that didn't work or fit well). I normally wouldn't have tried so many different varieties, but it's good that I did.

I bought all the big must-haves myself: stroller that the car seat could snap in and out of, car seat, swing, bouncy seat, jumparoo, play mat, pack'n'play, crib, etc.

ETA: I did register for a few Infantino brand things. One was recalled (sling). The carrier came unsnapped when I was carrying Justin in it (and he only weighed 10 pounds at the time). Same for the Safety1st brand stuff. The gate was too tall to step over. The toilet locks were both unlocked by Justin when he was only about 10 months old. Their brand baby monitor would only work - according to customer support - if I turned off the lights, wireless network, and cordless phones AND put the receivers at opposite ends of the house. So please learn from my mistakes and avoid those brands at all costs!!

lolabel

I've ranted about this before, but BRU are terrible. Target is great, and Amazon is a terrific idea. It's suprising how little you'll actually need once the baby is here, but it's always good to put a few things like Boudreau's butt cream on the list, and if you can convince people to buy you diapers, cloth or otherwise, that'll save you a bundle and be incredibly useful. (People often don't want to buy those things, though...) Future things are also very useful, like baby gates (which you will need sooner than you think.) Also... books! Don't forget to register your favourite children's books!

babymakes3

register for the basics, i promise you will realize after having him that a baby does not require as much as the stores make you think you need. diapers of all sizes are always good. target will always let you return if he outgrows a size and needs to move up. so stock up and at age 6 we still use wipes so you will need cases and cases and cases of wipes. wipe warmers are cute the first week but dryout the bottom half of the wipes we just used it and then returned it. we are the ultimate returners to target. ditto to BRU they have a really bad return policy. get lots of types of pacifiers because you never know if they want it, or like that type of nipple. the same with bottles. they are handy to have but only a couple of each brand in case they don't like the nipple. get a couple of premmie outfits. newborn clothes do not fit newborns unless you have a 10lb baby like me then the clothes fit perfect.

TxMoms2B

Triple paste (best diaper cream EVER...& we have tried them ALL), pacifier leash (cuz my 3 month old already has a good arm), in bed co-sleeper (if you so desire), really read reviews on the baby monitor of your choice (cuz my Sony one sucks), swing with AC adapter so you have the choice of battery or plug (my son has decided to sleep in his swing so we go thru 4 D batteries at $8 a pop in 2 weeks), cloth diapers for burp cloths (the prefolds...not flat folds), we like born free and dr. Brown bottles (especially in glass), a car seat that FITS your car or is very adjustable (my sloped back seat is not conducive to car seats...if I could take it back I would get a chicco key fit infant seat), muslin swaddle blankets, sock ons or the socks that look like shoes (I found a set at Ross for only a few bucks and they stay on well), thick hooded bath towels and wash cloths (the thin ones just roll up in the wash), ask for another blue bulb syringe when they give you one in the hospital (none of the ones you can buy work as well as the hospital one), breathable mesh crib bumper, clothes in all sizes (we have stuff up to 2t), if you have breastfeeding issues rent a madela symphony from the hospital, I second witch hazel pads and overnight pads for yourself, and C's fav toy is "my pal scout" a dog that sings and is programable (it says it's for 6-36 months, but the music and flashy lights keep C's attention well), we like our microwave steam sterilizer.

Things we could have done without: wipe warmer, pack n play, breastflow bottles, bottle warmer, and sleep sack/swaddle blankets with the Velcro.

TxMoms2B

Oh just had a good thought! If there is a way to register for a newborn photo session, that would be a great gift!

coryandamanda

I agree that Babies R Us has an awful return policy, but there is a way around it. If someone buys you something that isn't on your registry and you want to return it just go online and add it to your registry. Then you can return it. I got in so many arguments with them during my first pregnancy but then I figured out that loophole and it worked! I had temporarily vowed to never shop there again but it is such baby heaven in there I can't help myself!

Lauran

Just to play devil's advocate--I was registered at BRU and didn't have any trouble returning anything...but I didn't try to return anything that wasn't on the registry, so there you go!

People who did buy things off the registry tended to not actually use the registry in the store so I ended up with doubles of some things.

As for us, the things we could not have survived without:

-Infant seat that latches both to the car and to the stroller--and check to see if you need a certain kind of pump to inflate the tires on your stroller. I ended up having to go out and buy a bicycle pump!
-Of course lots of diapers and wipes
-For some reason, the only diaper creams that worked on Cruz when he was tiny were Balmex and A&D ointment, so you could ask for a few different brands of that to try them out. Desitin did nothing for him, neither did Butt Paste.
-Small toys that can attach to the handle of the car seat
-A lightweight plastic mirror that attaches to the back seat headrest so you can see his face in your rearview mirror while he's rear facing*
-Bouncy seat with detachable toys
-Lots of blankets/receiving blankets. If your baby's a spitter, you'll be washing them endlessly. It's good to have extras!
-Mittens (or extra socks) for those tiny little sharp nails he's going to inevitably have, and will scratch himself with
-I know some people don't, but we used the heck out of his pack n play. It was an extra changing station in the living room while he was tiny and as he got bigger it was a great place to put him so I could keep an eye on him while I was in the shower--got a clear shower curtain and put him right outside the bathroom door!

*I've heard some people say those mirrors are unsafe because in case of a crash they could become detached and go flying. But like I said, they're very lightweight plastic. They have no sharp edges. And personally, I felt better being able to see my baby was still *breathing* as I went down the road. New moms are very paranoid about that. At least I was!

LK

It's so funny to me how many people really do register for showers! I totally do not believe in showers and think the best way to get exactly what you want for a child that you planned, is buy yourself. If you want to celebrate the new baby have a big party after the baby is born!!

2moms

LK

That's exactly what we did! We didn't have a shower because I know what I want!

LovingMoms

I would say from experience with the grandbabies:

Lots of wipes. We get pampers free of dyes that way there is no concern of allergies.

Diapers. You can stock up on all sizes. Our girls could only wear huggies and will break out with any other brand.

Onsies are our favorites lots of them.
We put them on under their clothes especially during the winter months.

Bouncy seat with the vibrator and music.

Bottles with silicone nipples that way they are latex free.

Sleepers

And lots of hugs and kisses.

Once again congrats to you gals I'm so happy for you!

PtownMoms

I have to say...Finn is almost 5 months old and the things we use most are pajamas. HA. But she was also born in November, in Mass...so we haven't had to dress her a lot because she hasn't been outside a lot.

The things we registered for and use the most are....
- burp clothes
- bottles
- dishes/utensils (now that she's eating)
- bouncy seat (although she hated it for awhile)
- BIBS!!! (we go through about 394830 a day!)
- plain white onesies in all different sizes (ones with mittens when she was a newborn)

We bought all her furniture and bedding ourselves. And my mom bought us her infant car seat and stroller (which we LOVE).

We thought we would love the bumbo...but Finn HATES it! And she never warmed up to the swing that was bought for her. BUT, our friends let us use theirs once and she loved it...so we found one for $10 on craigslist.

And as you may know...I'm OBSESSED with my woven wrap. If I could have registered for one (or 10) I would have. : )

starfish2318

Honestly as many have said, babies don't need NEAR what you think they do! All the things I thought I "had" to have, she has hardly touched. Skip the big baby things like jumperoo, activity center, etc. They do much better on a mat or blanket on the floor with some toys. I think diapers, wipes, bottles (if you bottle feed) baby medicines, pacis, and a baby carrier are the most needed things for us. We had to buy like 5 different kinds of pacis, because she never liked any we gave her, and then she dropped the paci all by herself around 3 months. Bottles -- we ran through Soothies and Nuk before settlilng on and loving Dr. Brown's. Never can have enough wipes. We use 7th gen diapers and have never had a need for diaper rash cream, she has NEVER had a diaper rash. Gas drops and tylenol are good to have on hand, as its something we never bought or thought of buying -- didn't think for some reason we would give them to her. But let a baby start teething and I will def. give her tylenol! I wish we would have had a moby or some type of wrap for when she was little.....we won't make that mistake again, we have a moby for him already, and we use a Boba carrier for her, which we love. Honestly, stick to the basics, even though its not so "fun" for shower registering. We did have a shower for Noah a few weeks ago, but I DID NOT register.....I won't do that again. People will mostly buy what they want, and they usually want to buy clothes...which I am opinionated about, especially for a boy! After losing Ella, we didn't even want nor did we have a shower for Olivia. I wanted a fun party for Noah though, didn't have it for the gifts at all....just enjoy your shower, if everyone makes it about gifts, I think it ruins the experience, at least for me. Basics are no fun for anyone to buy, but they are what are needed for baby!

Livie hated her bumbo....never used it once without crying. And she went through lots of bibs/burp rags because she had such bad reflux. She is just now starting to use her PnP, in the mornings. We bought all her furniture/bedding etc. ourselves, carseats as well. I would register for a carseat besides an infant seat, such as a Britax, whatever you plan on using...Olivia was out of her infant carrier before 6 months....she still fits it, but she HATES it. Britax is much better. Did love the carrier/stroller combo for when she was tiny. And she still uses the stroller now.

Oh I would recommend a Sophie the giraffe. Olivia didn't get hers until 5 months, but I wish I would have gotten it much sooner...she LOVES IT. It's basically her lovie. I will def. get Noah one as soon as he can pick things up and starts teething. And books.....never can go wrong with baby books!

PtownMoms

Oh...Finn LOVE her sophie the giraffe too!!!!